By: Michal Kohoutek, Sr. Director of Engineering, Research & Development
When I look back at how we started in Brno, it is hard to believe how far we have come.
Interestingly, the story of Brno began with an acquisition that never happened. In 2016, the former NDS business was exploring opportunities to expand its integrated operating room (iOR) capabilities and acquire field programmable gate array (FPGA) expertise to support customizable video processing pipelines for surgical displays and video management systems. During that process, the leadership team discovered a small company in Brno that appeared to be an ideal fit.
While the acquisition did not materialize at the time, we uncovered something equally important: the exceptional engineering talent, strong university ecosystem, and innovation potential of the region. That experience left a lasting impression on both the NDS leadership team and our corporate team. Rather than walk away, they recognized an opportunity to build those capabilities organically and made the decision to establish an engineering presence in Brno.
Rainer Scholl, Senior Vice President, R&D, was one of the leaders who saw that potential early. We filled several key engineering positions quickly, and the first office space followed soon after. I joined during this formative period after being recruited by Rainer and was inspired by the vision of building a world-class engineering team that could drive innovation and growth for both NDS and our broader organization.
What started as a small team of engineers working to establish new capabilities would eventually grow into a strategic location supporting multiple business units and functions across our global organization. Today, as we celebrate ten years in Brno, I am proud of what we have built together and even more excited about what lies ahead.
The Early Years
The early years were filled with challenges. As Miroslav Dítě, Hardware Team Manager, recalls, we had strong engineering talent and limited clarity on which products to develop and which markets to target. At the same time, Milan Šalomon, Lead System Architect, remembers the transition from a small company environment into a global organization, requiring new processes and ways of working across regions.
We also had to prove ourselves. As Jiří Kříž, Sr. Software Design Engineer, recalls, earning trust to take on increasingly complex and business-critical work required persistence and strong execution. Alongside that effort, employees like David Kumhal, Tester and Verification Technician, helped establish the testing and service capabilities that continue to support product quality and reliability today.
Even the basics had to be built from the ground up. Petr Kolesnikov, Lead Software Engineer, remembers starting in a simple meeting room while the team developed the infrastructure and tools needed to support future growth.
As Marek Vaňura, Product Engineering Manager, recalls, building the site required far more than engineering. Employees stepped in wherever help was needed, establishing processes, sourcing equipment, developing supplier relationships, and creating a workplace where people wanted to stay and grow.
Earning Trust Through Results
One of the defining milestones was the CD1 project. Both Miroslav and Milan identify it as a turning point. Delivering a complex solution for a major customer with a relatively small team demonstrated what Brno was capable of and helped build confidence with customers and leaders alike.
As our capabilities expanded, so did our responsibility. We moved from contributing to individual projects to owning entire product areas and strategic initiatives.
What began with FPGA and hardware expertise evolved into full product ownership for iOR (Integrated Operating Room) solutions and expanded support across Advanced Surgery – Insufflators and Pumps, Detection & Analysis, Beam Steering and Scanning Solutions, Light Engines, CO₂ Lasers, product cyber-security, DevOps, automated testing, and other shared engineering services.
At the same time, Brno’s impact expanded beyond engineering. Corporate Shared Services established capabilities in accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, master data management, and business systems support, helping create scalable processes and shared expertise that support teams across Europe and North America. Together, these technical and business capabilities strengthened Brno’s role as a strategic contributor across our global organization.
Creating Real-World Impact
For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of the past ten years is seeing our work reach customers.
Many of us came from environments where interesting projects never became real products. Here, we develop solutions that are used every day. That creates a strong sense of purpose and reinforces the importance of staying focused on the customer and the product.
Today, Brno supports nearly 200 employees across engineering and business functions and serves as a key contributor across our global organization. Alongside R&D, Corporate Shared Services has evolved from a transactional support function into a center of expertise focused on process improvement, systems support, scalability, and talent development. The team now supports financial operations across multiple regions while helping prepare the organization for future growth through business systems modernization and SAP S/4HANA initiatives.
Our teams support the full product lifecycle, from architecture and development through verification, product cyber-security, automation, deployment, and sustaining engineering. Combined with a strong can-do attitude and deep technical expertise, that breadth of capability allows us to solve complex challenges and deliver high-quality solutions.
I am especially proud of the role our teams have played in developing advanced iOR products used by healthcare organizations around the world. Whether designing software, testing products, verifying performance, or supporting quality, employees understand that their work can ultimately help healthcare professionals deliver better patient care.
Looking Ahead
What makes me proudest is not only what we have built, but the people who built it. Many of the employees who helped establish Brno are still here today, continuing to innovate and mentor others, shaping the future of the site.
Looking ahead, I see Brno continuing to grow not only as a product development center but also as a competence hub where we can share specialized expertise across teams and business units, creating even greater value for our customers.
I also see continued opportunities for Corporate Shared Services to grow as a center of excellence, leveraging Brno’s strong university talent pipeline along with data expertise and our collaborative culture to help scale processes and create additional value for the business.
The next ten years will depend on the same principles that brought us this far: staying close to our customers, delivering products that matter, and working together as one team.
I am confident our greatest achievements are still ahead of us.